The present invention relates to a temperature control apparatus for a heating and/or cooling apparatus, in particular, to a wireless remote control apparatus using a battery as a power supply, and its operating method.
Wireless type remote control apparatus are now used for controlling apparatus such as air conditioners. Conventionally this control apparatus uses a battery as a power source. Since it is troublesome to frequently change batteries, small power consumption is required of this type of control apparatus.
One known apparatus of this type includes a temperature sensing circuit detecting temperature in a room, a comparing circuit comparing the detected temperature with a desired temperature and producing a signal, a transmitting circuit sending the signal to the apparatus to be controlled, such as an air conditioner, and a timer. The timer enables the remote control apparatus to detect the temperature and to send a regular signal intermittently. This apparatus has relatively low power consumption, but further reduction is desirable. Because the timer is operated irrespective of operation of the circuits described above, it takes longer than necessary to completely carry out the circuit operations. In other words, in spite of completion of the operations, the circuits are still supplied with useless power by the timer.